To Be Read

Leaving Microsoft To Change The World by John Wood

In 1998, John Wood was a rising executive at Microsoft when a trip to Nepal inspired him to change the world, one book and one child at a time. Fueled by the same drive that that made him a top executive, Wood married Microsoft business practices and the world of nonprofits to create Room to Read, a nonprofit that has created more than 2,000 schools and libraries throughout Asia and has donated more than one million books.

In Leaving Microsoft to Change the World, Wood chronicles his life and work, from the start-up years at Microsoft to his life-changing decision to leave, and includes the methods he uses to manage Room To Read.

From Publishers Weekly’s review:

“It’s a rare business book that not only provides savvy insights for better business practices but transcends the category altogether, to rank as an infectiously inspiring read. Wood takes the reader on an engaging journey from his life as a rather ordinary marketing director at Microsoft through the transformative decision to launch the nonprofit organization Room to Read (www.roomtoread.org), which has created more than 2,000 schools and libraries for children across Asia. From his first trip to Nepal, where he was struck by the country’s 70% illiteracy rate, through his courageous decision to leave Microsoft, to the logistics of growing and expanding the Room to Read initiative, Wood endears himself to the reader with his introspection and honesty. Crediting his former employer with giving him the business skills and drive to aim high, he outlines the concrete steps he took to make his vision a reality. Marked by sincerity and savvy, this is the kind of book that business colleagues will discuss with their acquaintances, spouses and friends.”

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